Chittenden

BROWN, Joseph

Vermont Historical Magazine, No XI, October 1867, pp 834-835

Joseph BROWN, from Great Barrington [Berkshire County], Massachusetts, one of 
the first three [settlers of Jericho, Chittenden County, Vermont] of 1774, 
settled in the north part of the town on the alluvion of the river to which 
he gave the name [Brown's River]. In selling his property in Great 
Barrington he received his pay chiefly in land where the village of Stowe 
[Lamoille County, Vermont] is now situated; but the difficulty of crossing 
the mountains, and the remoteness of Stowe from any settlement of that time, 
induced him to invest some property belonging to his wife's inheritance in 
Jericho. He was about six miles from the ordinary "Indian trail," and hoping 
that the Indians would not find his settlement, he remained after Messrs. 
MESSINGER and ROOD left.

But in the spring of 1777 the vicinity of the blockhouse, in the south part 
of town, induced him to take some land of Mr. MESSINGER and so live with "the 
rest of the world." But while employed making some fence around his corn 
with his two sons, Charles and Joseph, Indians suddenly rose around them, and 
with their demoniac yell announced that they were prisoners. They were taken 
to Isle Aux Noix, where they met BURGOYNE, who, accepting their submission to 
the crown, ordered them to be discharged. This was done, and they were set 
on the western shore of the lake. Here they were obliged to work some time 
to pay for help to cross the lake, and nearly three months elapsed before 
they effected their return to the settlement, which they found desolate, the 
rest of the family having accompanied the party which retreated from the 
blockhouse after the incursion of the Indians. Mr. BROWN was, therefore, 
obliged to go to the south part of the state to collect his scattered family. 
He returned to his farm, however, and was the only settler in the vicinity, 
his only neighbors being hunters and trappers scattered through the forests.

In 1780 the party which sacked Royalton [Windsor County, Vermont], passing up 
Winooski River, found a hunter, named GIBSON, skinning his game, and took him 
prisoner. Mr. BROWN's people were in the habit of entertaining hunters 
hospitably, and but a short time before this GIBSON had spent several days 
with them, while sick. Not relishing the prospect of captivity, he told the 
Indians that, if they would let him go, he would lead them to a white family. 
A number of Indians were detached for this purpose, and led by GIBSON took 
Mr. BROWN's family all prisoners. The traditions of their manners are 
illustrative of savage notions generally. After entering the house, one 
savage ran towards Mrs. BROWN, brandishing his knife; but not seeking her 
life, as she supposed, only her gold beads which he cut from her neck.

After plundering the house they had a high savage time burning it and all 
which they did not deem desirable to be carried away. Emptying the feather 
beds they had high Indian fun making the feathers fly, and then used the bed 
ticks for knapsacks. Mrs. BROWN, as a woman well to do in that time, had a 
scarlet broadcloth cloak. We can remember well when this was the choicest 
article in granmother's wardrobe. This article tickled the fancy of one 
copper-colored rascal, and the last Mrs. BROWN saw of it, it was streaming 
from his back as he disappeared in the forest at full speed.

The first night they returned to their camp at Winooski River with Mr. 
BROWN's whole family; GIBSON, whom they let go as agreed, but captured again 
immediately, with Mr. BROWN's cattle and his two dogs. The next morning 
after, however, they slaughtered one of the cattle, gave plenty of meat to 
the dogs to fatten them, and when full fled they considered them in condition 
to kill, and dispatched one of them; but when one of the savages approached 
the other dog, which had been witness to the fate of his fellow, he sprang at 
the throat of the Indian and brought him to the ground, treated a second in 
the same way, and then fled from the tomahawks which the rest hurled at him 
and disappeared in the forest, and sought and found civilized men again in a 
distant part of the State.

The second night they encamped at Mallet's Bay, where they compelled Mrs. 
BROWN and two children to stand in the water all night. At St. John's, C. E. 
[Canada East], they delivered their prisoners to British authorities, and 
received as a bounty eight dollars a head. The family was distributed in 
that vicinity; Charles, the elder of the boys, enlisted in the British 
service as a scout. In this capacity he repeatedly traversed the northern 
frontier in many directions, visiting the ruins of Royalton, as also a post 
office kept in a hollow tree in Peacham, through which by mails carried by 
scouts and hunters some limited communication was kept up between Canada and 
the frontier settlements.

This company of scouts was mainly formed of captured frontiersmen and did not 
maintain very strict discipline. At one time Charles, having boils which 
made it impossible for him to carry a knapsack, was left behind by his 
company and he saw nothing of them or any human being for three months, 
living by hunting until he again fell in with and joined his comrades. Mr. 
BROWN did not hear of the peace until some time after its establishment, the 
people wishing to induce him to settle in Canada; but he returned to his 
settlement after having been absent three years and eight months, poorer than 
he had ever been before, the destitution in which his captivity left him 
rendering him unable to pay the taxes; for which reason he lost his Stowe 
lands, and a considerable share of those in Jericho. Outliving his 
hardships, however, he was after all able to leave his children in 
independent circumstances, as his posterity are at this time.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly